Published: Friday, February 22, 2013 at 10:16 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 22, 2013 at 10:16 p.m.

NORTH PORT - Principal Justin Matthews eagerly awaits Monday's groundbreaking ceremony as he looks to further expand the biggest charter school in Sarasota County.

A day later, a court hearing is scheduled as Matthews' former bosses seek to push him from power, accusing him of a coup d'etat at the North Port school.

It is the latest part of a pitched battle pitting Matthews and the school's governing board against Imagine Schools, until days ago the charter's undisputed parent. The local governing board voted Feb. 15 to secede, accusing Arlington, Va.-based Imagine Schools of siphoning public tax dollars for its management fees and stunting the local school's growth.

The school, now independent, has been rechristened Sarasota Preparatory School.

Imagine Schools quickly sued Matthews and the board for more than $15,000, alleging both defamation and contract violation. The nonprofit also filed a motion for an emergency injunction that is scheduled to be considered Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. by Sarasota County Circuit Court Judge Charles Williams.

“We're doing what they should have if you have a dispute,” said Shawn Arnold, a Jacksonville lawyer representing Imagine Schools, the largest commercial manager of charter schools in the United States.

“In this instance, we've gone to the court and asked for relief. We will wait for the court to speak before we take any action.”

Matthews calls the nonprofit's lawsuit “frivolous,” and scores of parents are backing him and the board.

“I have never seen a principal as involved as Justin is,” said Imagine mother Tracy Roelle, who has a first- and fourth-grader at the school. “He's just a really solid role model for our kids.”

Since Thursday, more than 100 parents have signed a petition voicing support for Matthews and the local board, and parents expect to present it to the court, Roelle said.

“This is not in the best interest of our kids to continue with Imagine when the money can be used to better serve students,” said Roelle, a volunteer treasurer with the parent-teacher organization. “Mostly, I hear support. I really do.”

There have been a few “naysayers,” Roelle said.

“They were honest with us. They had no idea what's going on” and declined to sign the petition after being caught in the email crossfire between Matthews and Imagine Schools.

So far, the school has not seen a spike in student departures as the legal clash has heated up, Matthews said.

“Even though there's a lot going on, the professionalism of the staff is causing the school day to be normal,” Matthews said of the 100 staff members at the two campuses. “It's business as usual.”

District Superintendent Lori White had staffers visit the school once this past week — and plans to do so again on Monday and Tuesday.

“I don't feel there will be disruption. We just want to have the reassurance,” said White, who, like others close to the situation, is awaiting the results of the Tuesday court hearing. “We want to make sure everything is continuing to work smoothly” so classrooms aren't affected.

Of the Sarasota district's nine charter schools, only two — the Imagine schools at North Port and Palmer Ranch — are run by a parent company.

The fight already is having some tangible financial impacts.

Arnold, the Jacksonville attorney, said Imagine Schools stopped payment on a $100,000 check that the local governing board had written to itself. The company also has concerns about another $650,000 from the state that had not yet been deposited into its primary bank account, the lawyer said.

Matthews counters that the five-member board has two accounts and was only transferring money from one to another.

“That's all really confusing and disconcerting,” Matthews said about Imagine's response. “Imagine Schools Corp. is fully aware the local board has two bank accounts.”

Matthews has led the charter school since its opening in 2008. In the five years since, the student population has doubled to about 1,100, while the school has been rated “A” by the state for the past three years.

Signs of the division between local management and parents and the non-profit parent can even be seen in the virtual world.

Imagine School at North Port still has a website.

A website for Sarasota Preparatory School — still being built — has a picture of a Hawaiian shirt in a closet and the words “Future home of something quite cool.”

<p><em>NORTH PORT</em> - Principal Justin Matthews eagerly awaits Monday's groundbreaking ceremony as he looks to further expand the biggest charter school in Sarasota County.</p><p>A day later, a court hearing is scheduled as Matthews' former bosses seek to push him from power, accusing him of a coup d'etat at the North Port school.</p><p>It is the latest part of a pitched battle pitting Matthews and the school's governing board against Imagine Schools, until days ago the charter's undisputed parent. The local governing board voted Feb. 15 to secede, accusing Arlington, Va.-based Imagine Schools of siphoning public tax dollars for its management fees and stunting the local school's growth.</p><p>The school, now independent, has been rechristened Sarasota Preparatory School.</p><p>Imagine Schools quickly sued Matthews and the board for more than $15,000, alleging both defamation and contract violation. The nonprofit also filed a motion for an emergency injunction that is scheduled to be considered Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. by Sarasota County Circuit Court Judge Charles Williams.</p><p>“We're doing what they should have if you have a dispute,” said Shawn Arnold, a Jacksonville lawyer representing Imagine Schools, the largest commercial manager of charter schools in the United States. </p><p>“In this instance, we've gone to the court and asked for relief. We will wait for the court to speak before we take any action.”</p><p>Matthews calls the nonprofit's lawsuit “frivolous,” and scores of parents are backing him and the board.</p><p>“I have never seen a principal as involved as Justin is,” said Imagine mother Tracy Roelle, who has a first- and fourth-grader at the school. “He's just a really solid role model for our kids.”</p><p>Since Thursday, more than 100 parents have signed a petition voicing support for Matthews and the local board, and parents expect to present it to the court, Roelle said.</p><p>“This is not in the best interest of our kids to continue with Imagine when the money can be used to better serve students,” said Roelle, a volunteer treasurer with the parent-teacher organization. “Mostly, I hear support. I really do.”</p><p>There have been a few “naysayers,” Roelle said.</p><p>“They were honest with us. They had no idea what's going on” and declined to sign the petition after being caught in the email crossfire between Matthews and Imagine Schools.</p><p>So far, the school has not seen a spike in student departures as the legal clash has heated up, Matthews said.</p><p>“Even though there's a lot going on, the professionalism of the staff is causing the school day to be normal,” Matthews said of the 100 staff members at the two campuses. “It's business as usual.” </p><p>District Superintendent Lori White had staffers visit the school once this past week — and plans to do so again on Monday and Tuesday.</p><p>“I don't feel there will be disruption. We just want to have the reassurance,” said White, who, like others close to the situation, is awaiting the results of the Tuesday court hearing. “We want to make sure everything is continuing to work smoothly” so classrooms aren't affected.</p><p>Of the Sarasota district's nine charter schools, only two — the Imagine schools at North Port and Palmer Ranch — are run by a parent company.</p><p>The fight already is having some tangible financial impacts.</p><p>Arnold, the Jacksonville attorney, said Imagine Schools stopped payment on a $100,000 check that the local governing board had written to itself. The company also has concerns about another $650,000 from the state that had not yet been deposited into its primary bank account, the lawyer said.</p><p>Matthews counters that the five-member board has two accounts and was only transferring money from one to another.</p><p>“That's all really confusing and disconcerting,” Matthews said about Imagine's response. “Imagine Schools Corp. is fully aware the local board has two bank accounts.”</p><p>Matthews has led the charter school since its opening in 2008. In the five years since, the student population has doubled to about 1,100, while the school has been rated “A” by the state for the past three years.</p><p>Signs of the division between local management and parents and the non-profit parent can even be seen in the virtual world.</p><p>Imagine School at North Port still has a website.</p><p>A website for Sarasota Preparatory School — still being built — has a picture of a Hawaiian shirt in a closet and the words “Future home of something quite cool.”</p>